CBN Articles

The Canadian Baseball Network ( CBN ) promotes Canadian baseball players and teams from coast to coast. The Canadian Baseball Network features a draft list, ranking of the top Canadianbaseballprospects and featured articles.

Although baseball itself is often referred to as the American Pastime, the game's global appeal is rarely contested.

With roots that extend from the grassy knolls of Great Britain to the dusty pastures of Beachville, Ont. and then on through to the banks of Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, New York, the Grand Old Game is a historically well-travelled practice.

A true example of this trend can be found on the sun-soaked diamonds of Greenwood Park in Toronto. There, members of an extensive 11-team men’s baseball league meet weekly throughout the summer in order to continue a long-standing tradition focused on both athletic and community engagement.

Formed in 1967, the Japanese Canadian Baseball League serves as one of the longest continually operating amateur circuits in Southwestern Ontario. Drawing players from neighboring communities such as Scarborough, Etobicoke and Mississauga, the JCBL is more than just a recreational league for those involved.

“What makes it special is the fact that there is this cultural binding element, “ explained Jesse Cranin, a second-year player and current infielder with the Beansprouts. “It brings together a bunch of guys with a lot of cultural undertones in terms of Japanese culture, language and tradition. It’s really a community of its own."

Like most weekend circuits across the country, the JCBL features a variety of experienced ball players and skill sets, but don’t let the weekend warrior element fool you, these guys know how to play.

“(The players) are good. We have a number of guys who have played in the Koshien either once or several times throughout their careers, “ explained Cranin. “It’s an extremely competitive calibre of play."

For those unfamiliar with the aforementioned showcase, the Koshien is a high school tournament held twice yearly in Nishinomiya, Japan. Its games are played in an 80,000-seat stadium, televised nationwide and the players featured are said to achieve a sort of celebrity status both during and after the tournament.

Drawing comparisons to the College World Series, Koshien alumni include some of Japan's most impressive exports such as Masahiro Tanaka, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Yu Darvish to name only a few.

“What’s cool is that we all have exposure to playing with these guys that were on track to become professionals,” said Cranin. “Koshien is the talk of the baseball world in Japan, so I’d say that’s special."

2017 marks the JCBL’s 50th season. To celebrate the occasion, members from the league have planned a number of events throughout the course of the summer.

Those events include various pre-game ceremonies, an all-star team pilgrimage back to Japan and an end of season banquet with speeches from former professional ball players and some of the league's 4,000 alumni.

So the next time you find yourself just north of Leslieville on a Sunday afternoon, stop by Greenwood Park and watch as a community of Japanese athletes play the “American Pastime” in the heart of a Canadian city.

Born in southern Ontario during the late 1980's, Hendriks had a front row seat to watch the Blue Jays reach the pinnacle in '92/'93 as a child, an experience that only bolstered this Canadian's love for the "American Game." Having played since before his memory allows access too, his passion for Baseball grew over years of emulating his heroes on the local sandlots, memorizing the backs of chewing gum scented cards and travelling across North America to experience as many aspects of the game as possible. In 2009, Hendriks began volunteering at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame as a Weekend Tour Guide. By 2010, he was hired on to help curate for the museum & Instruct the fundamentals of the game along side such legends as Tony Fernandez, Roberto Alomar and Jim Fanning during the Hall's annual Kids On Deck program. Following the 2011 season, Hendriks began blogging and co-hosting a weekly podcast for www.BackInBlue.ca, a Blue Jays themed website ran by fans, for fans. Looking to continue connecting with baseball fans across the country, Hendriks is excited to join such a strong team at the Canadian Baseball Network and looks forward to chipping in.

Canadian Baseball Network

The Canadian Baseball Network ( CBN ) promotes Canadian Baseball players and teams from coast to coast. The Canadian Baseball Network features our Draft List, ranking the top Canadianbaseballprospects and featured articles.